Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Teens and Tweens: Back to School Reads You Shouldn't Pass Up

Sophie
lived in the town of Market Chipping, which was in Ingary, a land in
which anything could happen, and often did - especially when the Witch
of the Waste got her dander up. Which was often.

As her younger
sisters set out to seek their fortunes, Sophie stayed in her father's
hat shop. Which proved most unadventurous, until the Witch of the Waste
came in to buy a bonnet, but was not pleased. Which is why she turned
Sophie into an old lady. Which was spiteful witchery.

Now Sophie
must seek her own fortune. Which means striking a bargain with the
lecherous Wizard Howl. Which means entering his ever-moving castle,
taming a blue fire-demon, and meeting the Witch of the Waste head-on.
Which was more than Sophie bargained for.

Vordak the Incomprehensible: Double Trouble by Scott Seegert

The most aspirational supervillain ever continues his attempt at world
domination by creating a clone of his younger self. Many misfires and a
group of scientists named Fred convince Vordak the younger he might be
better at villainy than the not-so-good-looking original.

The Land of Stories: the Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer The Land of Stories Series #1

Alex and Conner
Bailey’s world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that
uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of
classic fairytales.

The Land of Stories tells the tale
of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished
book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a
foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with
the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

But after a
series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike,
getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

Scorpia by Anthony HorowitzAlex Rider Series #5

Scorpia has dogged Alex
Rider for most of his life. They killed his parents, they did their
best to con Alex into turning traitor, and they just keep coming back
with more power. Now the world's most dangerous terrorist organization
is playing with fire in the world's most combustible land: the Middle
East. No one knows Scorpia like Alex. And no one knows how best to get
to Alex like Scorpia. Until now.

The chases have never been more
intense, the fights more treacherous, or the risks so perilous to
mankind. And this time, Alex won't get away.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer Lunar Chronicles Series #1

Humans and androids
crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the
population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make
their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder,
a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a
mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her
stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the
handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an
intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty
and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her
past in order to protect her world’s future.

Eagle Strike by Anthony HorowitzAlex Rider Series #4

Sir Damian Cray is a
philanthropist, peace activist, and the world's most famous pop star.
But still it's not enough. He needs more if he is to save the world.
Trouble is, only Alex Rider recognizes that it's the world that needs
saving from Sir Damian Cray. Underneath the luster of glamour and fame
lies a twisted mind, ready to sacrifice the world for his beliefs. But
in the past, Alex has always had the backing of the government.

This
time, he's on his own. Can one teenager convince the world that the
most popular man on earth is a madman bent on destruction-before time
runs out?

Rift by Andrea Cremer Nightshade Prequel Series #1

Chronicling the rise of
the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's
internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old
Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their
healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in
wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness
loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her
mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the
knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic,
Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether
realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

Skeleton Key by Anthony HorowitzAlex Rider Series #3

Alex Rider has been
through a lot for his fourteen years. He's been shot at by international
terrorists, chased down a mountainside on a makeshift snowboard, and
has stood face-to-face with pure evil. Twice, young Alex has managed to
save the world. And twice, he has almost been killed doing it.

But now
Alex faces something even more dangerous. The desperation of a man who
has lost everything he cared for: his country and his only son. A man
who just happens to have a nuclear weapon and a serious grudge against
the free world. To see his beloved Russia once again be a dominant
power, he will stop at nothing. Unless Alex can stop him first.
Uniting forces with America's own CIA for the first time, teen spy Alex
Rider battles terror from the sun-baked beaches of Miami all the way to
the barren ice fields of northernmost Russia. Come along for the
thrilling ride of a lifetime

Insurgent by Veronica RothDivergent Trilogy #2

One choice can transform
you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as
unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue
trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with
haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty,
politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked
by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day
ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the
factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be
chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more
irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions
but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and
shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if
she does not know what she may lose by doing so.